Team 10
by Doxyc
Summary: Following the footsteps of the excellent Team 8, I'm trying my hand at shuffling the teams! Naruto is placed in Team Ten, with a mentor who doesn't ignore him for Sasuke, with teammates who aren't completely disproving!  I suck at summaries


Authors Note: Hey all, Doxyc here. Just checking in with you guys to let you know I'm basing this in part on the god of all naruto fanfics, S'Tar'Kan's "Team 8." It's another what-if story, but this time, shaking up all the people, not just a simple swap.

Chapter One, The Sorting

Hiruzen Sarutobi was an old man, and the more he fought that fact, the older he looked, truly. The Sandaime Hokage was a patient man, but even he had his limits. Across the old, heavy wooden desk sat two young men he was quite familiar with, his own son, Asuma Sarutobi, and one of the young instructors from the Konoha Ninja Academy, Iruka Umino. Sighing heavily he sipped from his tea as he looked to them, the day had just become a lot more..interesting. "And you're certain Naruto knows...?" he raised one eyebrow, and sighed heavily as Iruka immediately nodded. "Yes Hokage-sama, Mizuki told him everything..." Sarutobi stood, turning and folding his hands. "And Asuma, my boy, you want to be the one to train him, I take it.."

Asuma looked up and shrugged. "Seems like it wouldn't be a bad idea. I know the plan was for me to take the new Ino-Shika-Cho trio...but..as good as a team as their parents were, I got some doubt as to whether it'd work with the kids. Shikamaru and Choji are good kids..and friends, but Yamanaka's kid is a dunce, she's just obsessed with the Uchiha kiddo, and frankly it aint really worth the trouble. She'd do better here as an interrogator or a communications expert, not a field nin. " he gave his father a flat look. "And frankly, every ninja village in the world knows about the Ino-Shika-Cho combo, and they're sure to make things difficult...hell, honestly, I think we need to shake up all the teams, I mean, Kurenai was gonna take up a tracking team, but with Inuzuka, Aburame, and that Hyuga girl, they aint got much punch for a real fight.

Sarutobi nodded and rubbed his chin quietly. "Kakashi, what do you think?" he looked to the masked jonin leaning at the back of the room. "After all, this would shake up your own team's composition." Kakashi glanced up from his book. "I dont mind..however Sasuke and Naruto would perform together worries me. They are somewhat of rivals. Perhaps it'd be better to have them seperated, to encourage that rivalry. Maybe it'll bring out more of Sasuke, and less of this cold "avenger" personality he's built for himself. Who would you plan on giving me instead?" Asuma hummed quietly. "I was thinking...if Kurenai agreed, to split everyone up a bit..I'll take Uzumaki, the Hyuga girl, and Shikamaru...Kakashi, you keep Sasuke, and Sakura, and take Choji. He's friendly and doesn't take no for an answer, if you wanna crack Sasuke's head, that's the way to do it. Plus, it'll give you some brawn. Kurenai would get Yamanaka on her team, which would give her someone who has time to learn something other than their family's skills. Kiba and Shino will be busy all the time with their own family jutsus."

Nodding quietly, Sarutobi turned back to the window. "I concur...it balances the teams better...though..why did you choose the team you did, Asuma?" He hummed quietly, wishing he'd packed his pipe before the solemn meeting, glancing back at his wayward son. "Well, Naruto's obviously got chakra out the ass from the fox, and he can summon an army of shadow clones at will. Shikamaru's smart..hell, he's probably smarter than his dad...and he can maybe mellow Naruto out...and Hinata's quiet, listens good, and the girl's a close combat specialist, which neither of the others is." he shrugged and ground out his cigarette in a tray. Quietly the Hokage nodded, "So it shall be. I agree to this change...you may go and pick up your students now...I will stamp the approvals and send them to the family heads.

Naruto stretched, grinning as he adjusted his headband for the billionth time since he'd gotten it...grinning as he watches the other genin file in...he was -early- for once...though whether it was to be a good student, or to rub in the fact that he'd graduated, was an entirely different story, grinning as he saw the surprised looks on several of the other young ninja's faces...until something slammed into his head, and he whacked his head on the desk "Ow ow owow! What the heck!" he yelled as he turned...eyes widening as he saw the pink hair and piercing green eyes of the love of his life glaring down at him. "Narutooo! Where the heck did you steal that headband you blockhead? You -failed- remember?" she wound up for another punch when she was distracted, as was most of the female staff, by the brooding black haired Sasuke lurching through the door in his distinctive slouch, immediately running off squealing "Saasuke-kun~! " the blonde's "theft" forgotten. Huffing he crossed his arms, as he glared at the young Uchiha as he walked up to sit in his seat, which unfortunately was beside Naruto...which immediately resulted in the blonde being dragged out of his seat and pounded by a horde of angry kunoichi fighting over the chair.

Crawling from the "battle" Naruto groaned, until a soft, white hand entered his field of vision. "A..are you alright..N-Naruto?" the blushing Hyuga heiress helped him to his feet, blushing as he grinned at her "Neh, Hinata, I'm fine! Stupid fangirls, right?" he blinked and sat down as Iruka came in with his list. "Okay okay, settle down, It's time for team assignments!" he shouted, finally settling the dispute, as a glowing Sakura sat beside Sasuke, scooting close and leaning on him, much to his chagrin. "Team Seven, Jonin Instructor, Kakashi Hatake...Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno-" "YES!" She cried out, earning her a glare from Iruka, and ninety percent of the girls in the classroom. "And, " Iruka continued, "Choji Akimichi." the chubby boy blinked and sat up, "Really?" he looked shocked, but not that bothered, smiling as he walked over and offered his teammates some chips from a large bag, which earned a disgusted look from Sakura and a raised brow from Sasuke.

"Alright, Team Eight, Jonin Instructor, Kurenai Yuuhi, Kiba Inuzuka, Ino Yamanaka, and Shino Aburame. " the three shrugged, and moved together without much argument. "Team Nine!" he called out, and Naruto tuned him out, figuring he should figure out who would be on his team...as he looked about the room, noting the groups seemed to be two boys and a girl...which would he get though..Sakura was with the bastard Uchiha...maybe Ino..no she'd been picked already...he hummed to himself, then nodded. "Hey Hinata..looks like we'll probably-" The girl turned bright red as the object of her affection spoke to her, "Team Ten, Jonin Instructor Asuma Sarutobi, " Iruka called out. "Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga, and Shikamaru Nara!" He called, earning a bright blush from Hinata, a sigh of "troublesome" from Shikamaru, and a "Woo hoo! Yeah! We're going to be the BEST!" from Naruto, before he cleared his throat in amusement. "Remain here, your instructors will come pick you up soon. Good luck to you all!" he walked out, as the Jonin filed in, Kurenai and an instructor Naruto didn't know...Team 9's boss apparently, taking their teams quickly...

After thirty minutes, Kakashi took the Team Seven, and Naruto muttered to himself, seeing Sakura cling to Sasuke as they left. "Well..mannn..where is our instructor? Did he fall asleep?" he muttered, and picked up the chalkboard erasers, moving to set them atop the door, so once the door was opened, they'd fall onto the next person to enter's head. "N-Naruto.." Hinata called out. "Maybe...you shouldn't..um...prank our instructor..." she gulped softly, gently tapping her index fingers together. "Stop being a pain, Naruto..he'll get here whenever...just relax." Shikamaru called, as he watched his teammates...already analyizng them in his head...Hinata was easy to figure out. She was a Hyuga, which meant Gentle Fist, she was an obvious close combat fighter, and with her Byakugan was invaluable in a team. Naruto however..was not...he could -barely- perform, and his skills in the ninja arts were rather pathetic, at best. Perhaps he'd been put with them to be less of a burden on another team..."What a drag..." he muttered and closed his eyes, just as he heard the door creak...and the unmistakable thud of erasers falling on someone's head...

Asuma was running late...though not because he had to help a cat out of a tree, or one of Hatake's other lame excuses..he'd been shopping with some of the stipend the Hokage'd given him, showing up with a pack full of new gear for Naruto, fully planning on helping the boy out, he shoved the door open...and immedately got a facefull of chalk-dust..."What the HELL man?" he wiped his eyes and narrowed them as he saw the orange clad genin rolling on the foor, holding his sides laughing. "Nice trick. Be at Training Field Seventeen in twenty." he threw the bag to land beside Naruto "Uzumaki, get changed. If you show up in that orange kill-me suit, I'll burn it still on you." He vanished in a swirl of leaves...grinning to himself...he wouldnt -really- do that...but...the kid didn't know that!


End file.
